Gold is a traditional investment choice because it rarely loses value. In fact, in the last 13 years gold bullion is up more than 520%. An investment of just $25,000 in gold 13 years ago would now be worth more than $600,000.

One of the best things about gold is that it can now be applied to your IRA. This wasn't always the case, but federal legislation created in 1997 changed the rules of gold investing. You can now open an Individual Retirement Account consisting entirely of gold, or use gold to supplement your cash IRA.